The present invention relates to snow removal machines provided at the front of the body with a snow removing section such as an auger for removing snow.
A known snow removal machine with of an auger is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. SHO-64-21108. This snow removal machine will be described with reference to FIG. 12.
A conventional snow removal machine 200 shown in FIG. 12 includes a machine body 201, an engine 202 provided on the machine body 201, a cover 203 covering the engine 202, an auger 204 and a blower 205 provided at the front of the machine body 201 and driven by the engine 202, and a crawler-type running section 206 driven by the engine 202. The snow removal machine 200 travels forward while collecting snow with the auger 204, whirling up the collected snow with the blower 205, and throwing the snow away to a desired position with a chute 207.
An oil filler, a fuel cock for opening and closing a fuel line, a spark plug for igniting a fuel mixture in a cylinder and a battery for providing electric current to the spark plug are provided around the engine 202. These components are covered by the cover 203 because, if left bared, they can be adversely affected by snow, drops of water and the like.
The oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery receive frequent maintenance. To facilitate the maintenance of those components, although not shown in FIG. 12, an opening is actually formed in the cover 203 in a position corresponding to the disposed position of the components and a door is openably and closably provided at the opening. The door is opened for the maintenance of the oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery.
Components of the oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery, however, are provided all around the engine 202. It is necessary to attach a door at the position of each component, resulting in a plurality of doors attached to the cover 203. The number of components of the cover 203 is thus increased, resulting in time-consuming assembly of the cover 203, which prevents cost reduction of the snow removal machine.
It is required to open and close the doors when maintenance of the components of the oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery is done. Opening and closing the doors are troublesome. In this context, there is a demand for a snow removal machine which facilitates maintenance of components such as an oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery and can reduce the number of components of a cover.
According to the present invention, there is provided a snow removal machine, which comprises: a machine body; a snow removing section provided at a front portion of the machine body; a blower provided between the machine body and the snow removing section; a running section provided below the machine body; an engine mounted to the machine body for driving the snow removing section and the blower; an oil filler, a fuel cock for opening and closing a fuel line, a spark plug for igniting a fuel mixture within a cylinder and a battery for providing electric current to the spark plug which are disposed around the engine; and a cover comprising an upper cover portion for covering the engine, oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery, and a lower cover portion on which the upper cover portion is removably mounted; the upper cover portion being adapted to be removed from the lower cover portion thereby to expose the oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery.
In this invention, as described above, the cover is split into two segments, the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion, and the upper cover portion covers the engine, oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery, which components are exposed by removing the upper cover portion. With this configuration, only removing the upper cover portion from the lower cover portion allows the oil filler, fuel cock, spark plug and battery to be easily exposed, facilitating maintenance of those components. The configuration of splitting the cover into two segments, the upper and lower cover portions, eliminates the need for providing conventionally required maintenance doors at the cover. The number of components of the cover can thus be reduced for a simplified configuration.
The snow removal machine in this invention preferably further comprises: an oil drain hole provided at the engine; a drain pipe extended substantially horizontally from the oil drain hole in a transverse direction of the machine body; a drain plug removably fitted to an end of the drain pipe, the end of the drain pipe being protruded outside of a sidewall of the lower cover portion; an oil receiver formed at the lower cover portion in a position below the drain pipe for receiving oil turning around the end of the drain pipe to a periphery of the drain pipe; and a retaining hollow formed with the oil receiver and the lower cover portion for fitting a harness thereinto for retaining.
The drain plug can be removed from the outside of the cover without removing the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion. The formation of the oil receiver at the lower cover portion below the drain pipe allows the oil receiver to receive engine oil turning around the end of the drain pipe to the periphery. In addition, the formation of the retaining hollow with the oil receiver and the bottom surface of the lower cover portion and the fitting of a wire harness into the retaining hollow for retaining the wire harness allow members used for a component retaining a wire harness to be also used for an oil receiver.
The oil receiver preferably has a discharge opening formed in a bottom thereof for discharging the oil outside. Engine oil collected in the oil receiver can be easily discharged outside of the cover without removing the cover.
The snow removal machine in the present invention, more preferably, further comprises: a blower housing for enclosing the blower disposed at the front portion of the machine body; and a mount provided on an upper portion of the blower housing for mounting the battery; the upper cover portion being configured to extend forward so as to cover the battery mounted on the mount and the blower housing.
The battery is thus covered by the cover to prevent snow or rain from reaching the battery. The upper portion of the blower housing can also be covered by the cover to prevent outside leakage of frictional noise of air produced by rotation of the blower. The battery and the blower housing are covered by the upper cover portion extending forward of the machine body.